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No one too big to tackle in corruption fight – Buhari

- As Salami panel on Magu submits report
President Muhammadu Buhari has said no one should be too big to tackle in the fight against corruption.
The President, who admitted that corruption existed in all levels of government including high places, said this was why he ordered the suspension of the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu and set up a panel to probe graft allegations against him.
Buhari spoke in Abuja while receiving the report of the Justice Ayo Salami-led Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the Investigation of Magu, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
The statement was titled “President Buhari: I want Nigeria to be counted among countries that do not tolerate but fight corruption.”
He said, “Let it be known that in the fight against corruption, no one is too big to tackle, as no individual is bigger than the Nigerian state!”
“Corruption is present in all countries. Some governments treat it with levity. Some fight it all the time. I want Nigeria to be counted among those countries that do not tolerate but fight corruption,” he added.
Even as he noted that corruption walked on all four (legs) in all levels of government and different segments of the society, he explained that the fight against graft would be seen as a mere charade if government failed to act when accusations of corruptions were leveled against agencies set up to help the crusade.
Buhari said, “The sad reality confronting us as a people is that there is corruption almost everywhere; at many levels of government, and nearly every stratum of our society. Mindful of the threat that corruption poses to us as a nation, this administration has specifically focused on the fight against corruption.
“As a government, and in furtherance of our anti-corruption programme, we have since inception engaged in many reforms in removing corruption including but not limited to the enforcement of Treasury Single Account, strict implementation of the Bank Verification Number Policy and signing unto the open government partnership. A lot of efforts have gone into building and development of our anti-corruption institutions.”
He also said, “We have so far kept faith with our promise and shall remain committed until Nigeria triumphs over the evil of corruption, attain a prosperous economic status, and surmounts her security challenges.
“However, the stark reality of widespread corruption becomes poignant when allegations of corruption touch on the leadership of an institution set up by law to coordinate and enforce all economic and financial crimes. It is an abomination that strikes at the root and undermines the Government’s anti-corruption programme.
“It was in response to the serious allegations against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that I set up a Panel headed by the Honourable Justice Isa Ayo Salami, retired President of the Court of Appeal, via an Instrument dated 3rd July 2020 pursuant to the Tribunals of Inquiry Act (Cap T21, LFN, 2004).”
The President said, “We recognise that there are more grounds to cover in the war against corruption, and we are prepared to go out to possess those lands by cutting off any stream that nourishes the seed of corruption and supports its growth.”
Buhari said his desire was to make Nigeria a country with no tolerance for corruption.
He called on all stakeholders and every Nigerian to own the fight against corruption at their respective levels.
The President Buhari thanked members of the Commission for their dedication and commitment to the fight against corruption.
Responding, Justice Salami reportedly said Magu and 113 witnesses appeared and testified before the commission.
He added that 46 petitions and memoranda were presented by individuals and organisations with complaints against the suspended acting Chairman, EFCC, or both.
Salami said the commission also embarked on a nationwide physical verification of recovered forfeited assets, comprising real estates, automobiles, vessels, and non-cash assets.
He commended the President for the initiative, The statement reported the retired Justice of the Court of Appeal as recommending “that in appointing a new chairman, consideration should be given to candidates from other law enforcement or security agencies and a core staff of the EFCC as provided in the EFCC establishment Act of 2004.”
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Reps panel: Ibadan, Warri, Lagoon among 31 proposed new states

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review says it has received proposals for the creation of 31 additional states to the existing 36 in Nigeria.
Chairman of the committee and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, made this announcement on Thursday during plenary while reading a letter from the committee’s clerk.
According to Kalu, the proposed states have six in the North Central, four in the North East, five in the North West, five in the South East, four in the South-South, and seven in the South West.
He listed the states being considered as Okun, Okura, and Confluence states from Kogi; Benue Ala and Apa states from Benue; FCT State; Amana from Adamawa; Katagum from Bauchi; Savannah from Borno; and Muri from Taraba.
Others are New Kaduna and Gujarat states from Kaduna; Tiga and Ari from Kano; Kainji from Kebbi; Etiti, Orashi, Adada, Orlu, and Aba from the South East; Ogoja from Cross River; Warri from Delta; Ori and Obolo from Rivers; Torumbe from Ondo; Ibadan from Oyo; Lagoon from Lagos; Ijebu from Ogun; and Oke Ogun/Ijesha from Oyo, Ogun, and Osun states.
The committee outlined the criteria required to initiate the state creation process, stating, “An act of the National Assembly for the purpose of creating a new state shall only be passed if it requires support by at least the third majority of members.
“The House of Representatives, the House of Assembly in respect of the area, and the Local Government Council in respect of the area are received by the National Assembly. Local Government Advocates for the creation of additional local government areas are only reminded that Section 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, applies to this process.”
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Kenya Airways apologises to Nigeria for mistreating passenger

Kenya Airways apologises to Nigeria for mistreating passenger
Kenya Airways has apologised to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over the mistreatment of Nigerian passenger Gloria Omisore and for issuing a misleading statement on the incident.
The apology came after the airline’s management and NCAA representatives met Tuesday in Abuja.
Michael Achimugu, the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, revealed this in a post on his official X handle.
“Their team has apologised for the obfuscation of facts in their earlier statement. They also admitted that, phone call or not, it was the airline’s fault for failing to identify the issue before airlifting the passenger from Lagos,” Achimugu stated.
He pointed out that his job was to enforce the civil aviation authority’s rules while safeguarding all parties involved in aviation, including travellers and airlines.
According to Achimugu, he had insisted that Kenya Airways apologise publicly to the NCAA and the passenger. Since then, the airline has issued a revised statement that accurately depicts what actually happened in Nairobi.
James Nganga, the country manager for Kenya Airways; Eric Mukira, the station manager; and Ezenwa Ehumadu, the duty manager, were in attendance.
Before her journey, Omisore reportedly checked with Kenya Airways to see if she could travel on the Manchester-Paris-Nairobi-Lagos route incoming and the Lagos-Nairobi-Paris-Manchester route outbound, according to the NCAA.
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According to reports, she disclosed to the airline that she was a Nigerian who lacked a Schengen visa but had a British residency status. She was assured of her eligibility in spite of this.
“Based on this information, she purchased the ticket and successfully flew into Nigeria via Paris and Nairobi without incident,” Achimugu explained.
However, the airline failed to obtain a transit permit for the Paris leg and boarded her from Lagos on her return trip. Only in Nairobi was the oversight found.
After a 17-hour layover, Kenya Airways offered her a direct ticket to London at no additional cost, but she had to wait an extra 10 hours.
“Exhausted and unwell, the passenger requested accommodation and care, citing the airline’s error. When this was denied, an argument ensued between her and the airline staff,” Achimugu added.
Condemning Kenya Airlines over the incident, the NCAA said, ““I expressed deep disappointment over the unruly behaviour of the airline’s staff, particularly the disparaging remarks about the Nigerian government, insinuating that nothing would be done regardless of how Nigerians were treated,” Achimugu stated.
He said that, contrary to what the airline had previously stated, Omisore did not decline to take the other flight.
Her annoyance instead arose from the extended wait and the refusal of basic care, even after the airline acknowledged its mistakes.
Kenya Airways has been ordered to refund and compensate Omisore for the “avoidable humiliation and distress” she endured, which also threatened her job security.
Although the airline initially requested 72 hours to respond, the NCAA granted only 48 hours, stating, “Truth should not be that hard to publish, considering how swiftly the misleading statement was released.”
Kenya Airways apologises to Nigeria for mistreating passenger
News
Afe Babalola seeks increase in doctors’ salaries

Afe Babalola seeks increase in doctors’ salaries
Aare Afe Babalola, the founder and chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has called on the government to increase the salaries of medical doctors and ensure prompt payment, attributing poor remuneration to their emigration from Nigeria.
Babalola made this call on Tuesday in Ado-Ekiti during the 7th induction and oath-taking ceremony of the 2024 graduating medical students of the institution.
The elder statesman bemoaned the poor remuneration paid to doctors in Nigeria, describing it as ridiculous and paltry.
His words, “The reason many Nigerian doctors and nurses leave this country immediately after completing their training is because the emoluments paid in naira are much less than what cleaners in hospitals overseas earn.
“Worse still, doctors in many states and government hospitals have not been paid for many months. I appeal to the government to increase the salaries of doctors and ensure prompt payment”.
The legal luminary also criticised the federal government for limiting TETFund beneficiaries to only public universities and not including private universities.
Babalola stated that a quality-driven private university, such as ABUAD, should not be denied access to the TETFund, and that this would also assist self-funded universities in providing higher-quality teaching, research, and community service.
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“I am not asking that the money should be given to private universities to develop structures but the functions of a university properly so-called according to the World Bank are quality teaching, research, and community service.
“It is common knowledge that our university is leading in community service and research into the use of African herbs for the production of herbal drugs. The question then is, why should the government deny private universities access to TETFund for research?” he added
Inducting the graduating medical students, the registrar of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Professor Fatima Kyari, praised Afe Babalola for establishing quality facilities in the university to effectively equip the students.
The registrar expressed confidence in the transformative momentum aimed at upgrading the country’s healthcare sector, saying that the federal ministry of health is capable of improving the quality of the healthcare system.
Professor Kyari encouraged the entrants to roll up their sleeves and get back to work, emphasising that their contribution to mankind is essential in a country like Nigeria.
The guest lecturer, Professor IkeOluwapo Ajayi, exhorted the inductees to harness the core skills learnt at ABUAD to achieve in their jobs.
Ajayi also pushed them to use their high-quality university knowledge to achieve a competitive advantage in the medical field.
Meanwhile, 23 medical graduate students achieved distinctions, including Oluwatosin Motajo (7 distinctions), Bumiyo Ojogbane (5), and Benedict Orina (5), with all twenty-three exceptional students receiving N100,000 apiece.
Afe Babalola seeks increase in doctors’ salaries
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